Let's Open the Floodgates

Welcome to the UIC Reading Clinic! It's time to open the floodgates as writers to define yourself, engage others, nurture resilience, and build capacity. We will write for others and ourselves during our time together. I wrote the following poem to capture what it means to be a floodgate writer.

Floodgate Writer

Alfred W. Tatum

February 1, 2012

5:38pm

Gushing, rushing waters

Is what my words feel like

The dam builders are in the way

I will use the 13 letters I know to tear down the walls

CAPITAL LETTERS, small letters, misspellings, no commas

two periods and an exclamation point

I don’t care

Pictures, sketches, scribbles

and an occasional stain from my snack

I have to write

to figure some stuff out, to scream,

to scratch my back, to touch my toes

to get that booger out of my nose

My stream of thoughts is pounding against my head

pencils – where are the pencils!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excitement, fears, no cowardice tears

Open the floodgates and let me through

I feel another thought coming

signed

FW